Humidifier apparatus



April 30, 1957 2,790,374

M. A. POWERS HUMIDIFIER APPARATUS Filed Jan. .13, 1954 INVENTOR.

Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application January 13, 1954, Serial No. 403,723 3 Claims. (Ci. 93-105) The present invention relates to huir idifyiiig apparatus of the type employing an evaporating pan and a float chamber for regulating the flow of water to thepan, 'and more particularly to such apparatus used with a perimeter register and in which a means is provided for eliminating service troubles that occur in connection with the regulating means in the-float chamber.

In the normal operation of a conventional float controlled humidifier unit, the water-supplied to the unit will contain lime compounds in solution; Experience proves that when the water temperature is raised to about 165 degrees Fahrenheit, a subs'tan'tial portion of such lime compounds as well as other compounds in solution will form precipitates and drop out. It is found that approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the upper limit of water temperature that can be used while having little, if any, precipitation of the compounds.

When using an humidifierin conjunction with a permeter register the temperature of the air flowing through the register will often be in excess of 175 degrees Fahrenheit, and in order to obtain effective humidification the humidifier pan will be positioned in this air stream. This causes precipitation in the pan where it should occur, and also tends to cause precipitation in the float chamber which is very undesirable because the lime precipitates impair the operation of the float chamber mechanisms. In order to prevent lime precipitates from forming in the float chamber it becomes necessary that the water in this chamber have an upper limit of approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit while permitting the temperature of the water in the pan to be raised to higher levels.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide humidifying apparatus adapted principally but not exclusively for use with a perimeter register and which is constructed and arranged so that the temperature of the water in the float chamber will be maintained during normal operation of the heating system at temperatures sufliciently low to keep lime and other undesirable precipitation forming compounds in solution, thereby eliminating to a great extent unnecessary servicing of the float chamber mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide humidifying apparatus of the foregoing character wherein the air stream passing through the register is utilized to induce a flow of cooler air over the float chamber, thereby maintaining the water in the chamber at a lower temperature than the water in the humidifier pan, thus efiectiug a simple and economical arrangement to elimiante forming of undesirable precipitates in this chamber.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view of an humidifier used in conjunction with a perimeter register and embodying the present invention;

nited States. Patent Fig. 2 is a lan view of thefloat chamber shown in Fig. l with its cover removed; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the evaporator pan shown in Fig. 1.

Before explaining the present invention in 'detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in .its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood "that thep'hraseo'l ogy or terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescriptionan-d not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings a perimeter register 10 is shown in the floor 12 of a room, and a Warm air duct 14 leads to theregister 10 for discharging warm air into the room- A humidifier unit -16 having an evaporator pair 18 and a float chamber 20 ismounted adjacent the register 10. The evaporator pan18 carries a plurality of Vapoglas evaporating elementsv 22. which are described in. greater detail in. my prior United States Letters Patent, No. 2,271,829, granted February 3, .1942.

The Vapoglas evaporating "elements 22 extend into the air stream in the duct 14 so as to effect 'humidificatibn of the warm air flowing through the'duct 14, and they are moistened by capillary action bywater maintained'at a constant level inv pan 18; The; latter. receives water through the conduit 24 fromthe "-float chamber 20. This chamber contains a water level regulating float mechazni'sm 26, which opens or closes inlet valve 28' in. the water inlet line 30. For a more detailed description of this humidifier unit reference is .made'to theUnited States Letters Patent to Bottum, No. 2,569,512.

As has been previously explained, if the temperature of the Water in float chamber 20 exceeds approximately degrees Fahrenheit lime and other precipitates will come out of solution impairing the operation of the float mechanism 26. In order to prevent this undesirable result from occurring the float chamber 20 is enclosed in a separate chamber 32 which has insulating walls 34 which may be formed from any well known type of heat insulating material. Thus, the float chamber cannot be directly heated by the air flowing through duct 14.

To aid further in maintaining the water in float chamber below approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit the register 10 is designed so as to provide circulation of cool air in the separate chamber 32. This is accomplished by the novel arrangement of having the register 10 extend over the separate chamber 32 so that cool air flowing above the floor at 36 will be induced to flow through said chamber 32 as shown by the arrows, Fig. 1. As is well known, the warm or hot air leaving the register 19 will rise and the cooler air in the room will descend toward the floor. This will result in a constant circulation of air with the warm air rising above the register 10 and the cool air descending around this column of warm air. When the cool air approaches the floor it will flow back toward the register 10 since the air pressure over the register is slightly lower. This returning cool air is the same as is indicated at 36, and being heavier than warmer air it will descend displacing any warmer air in the compartment 32, thus assuring that this compartment will always be maintained at a temperature approximating that of normal room temperature.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a very simple and economical construction and arrangement has been provided for maintaining the float chamber at a temperature such that undesirable precipitates will not be formed to any appreciable extent therein, thus eliminat ing unnecessary impairment and servicingof the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In an air heating system having a continuous air PatentedAph 30,, I957- duct for directing air from a remote source past a heating unit and thereafter through the discharge outlet of the duct into a room, a substantially horizontally disposed louvered register mounted over the discharge outlet for directing the warmed air into the room, a water level controlled humidifier unit mounted with its evaporating element extending into said air duct adjacent said louvered register, the control mechanism for said humidifier unit being mounted outside said duct, a compartment adjacent thedischarge outlet of said air duct and enclosing said control mechanism, said compartment having its side and bottom walls heat insulated and having an extension of said louvered register for its top wall, the louvers in said top wall being inclined upwardly and away from the outlet of said air duct, and some of the louvers over said discharge outlet being immediately adjacent said top wall and being directed upwardly and in generally parallel relation to the louvers in said top wall.

2. In an air heating system having a continuous air duct for directing air from a remote source past a heating unit and thereafter through the discharge outlet of the duct into a room, a substantially horizontally disposed louvered register mounted over said discharge outlet for directing the warmed air into the room, a water level controlled humidifier unit mounted with its evaporating element extending into said air duct adjacent said louvered register, the control mechanism for said humidifier being mounted outside said duct, a compartment adjacent the outlet of said air duct and enclosing said control mechanism, the louvers over said outlet being directed upwardly and fanned outwardly, the top wall of said compartment being an extension of said louvered register, the louvers in said top wall being inclined upwardly and away from the outlet of said air duct for receiving cool air moving toward the outlet of said air duct, some of the louvered openings of said top wall being immediately adjacent said outlet with the adjacent louvers inclined in the same direction to aid in inducing a flow of said cool air through said compartment and out of the last-named louvered openings.

3. In a warm air heating system having a horizontal register located in a room and a warm air duct leading to said register, a humidifier unit having a pan extending into said air duct and a float chamber mounted adjacent the outlet of said duct through which water is supplied to said pan, a water level control mechanism in said float chamber, and means forming a compartment in which said float chamber is contained, said compartment isolating the float chamber from air flowing into and through said air duct, said register extending beyond the outlet from said warm air duct to form an apertured top wall of said compartment, the register over the air duct and the compartment having louvers forming openings, the louvers over said compartment being inclined outwardly and away from said air duct, the louvers over said air duct being fannedoutwardly to direct warmed air into said room, some of the last named louvers adjacent said compartment being substantially parallel to the inclined louvers over said compartment so that as Warm air is discharged from the air duct cool air from the room will be induced into said compartment thereby maintaining the water in the float chamber at a cool temperature preventing precipitates from forming to impair the operation of the regulating mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,006 Schrader June 24, 1902 966,842 Lewis Aug. 9, 1910 2,363,953 Forrester Nov. 28, 1944 2,654,362 Scharf Oct. 6, 1953 

